Recoil attenuating munition

ABSTRACT

A unique munition is disclosed which will isolate the forces of the propellant system from the gun. Slidable coaxial casings are formed to provide shock absorbing formations therebetween. The shock absorbing formations absorb gun recoil forces formed by the ignition of the propellant.

United States Patent Inventors George Webb Richmond; Reginald Winterburn, South Richmond, both 01, Ind. Appl. No. 801,365 Filed Feb. 24, 1969 Patented Aug. 10, 197 l Assignee Avon Corporation Richmond, Ind.

RECOIL A'I'IENUATING MUNITION l 1 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 102/42 C Int. Cl. F421: 7/06 Field of Search 42/74; 102/42, 38, 95

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,289,586 12/1966 Horn et al 102/95 X 3,405,638 10/1968 Stower, .Ir.... 102/95 X 3,420,178 1 1969 Rempel 102/95 3,469,527 9/1969 Pace 102/42 (C) FOREIGN PATENTS 1,431 1915 Great Britain 102/42 (C) 2,983 1905 Great Britain 102/42 (C) Primary ExaminerRobert F. Stahl Attorneys--Charles M. Hogan and Eugene C. Goodale ABSTRACT: A unique munition is disclosed which will isolate the forces of the propellant system from the gun. Slidable coaxial casings are formed to provide shock absorbing formations therebetween. The shock absorbing formations absorb gun recoil forces formed by the ignition of the propellant.

PATENTEDAUGIOIQ?! 3,598,054

INVENTORS GEORGE WEBB REGINALD WINTERBURN ATTORNEYS.

RECOIL ATTENUATING MUNITION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention pertains to munitions and more particularly to munitions for use in hand or shoulder fired guns. It is a well-known law that for every action there is a reaction. When applied to armament and guns, this means that upon firing of every shell therefrom, the force required to propel the shell will also have a recoil force transmitted to the gun. The recoil forces will depend upon the gauge size of the gun and the amount of the propellant charge. As any hunter can relate, the recoil force or kick" of the gun can be quite great as many a bruised shoulder will show. Gun manufacturers and users have long searched for devices and methods to reduce the effect of the recoil forces, such as soft padding placed at the end of the stock to absorb the kick."

An object of this invention is to provide a munition which will reduce the effect of recoil forces to the user by isolation of the propellant charge from the gun.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides a unique munition which will isolate the propellant force from the gun and thereby reduce the gun recoil forces transmitted to the user. The munition is basically a gun within a gun with a shock absorbing formation between the two.

Other details, uses, and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the following description of the exempla' ry embodiments thereof presented in the accompanying drawings proceed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings show present exemplary embodiments ofthis invention in which:

FIG. I is a sectional view illustrating one exemplary embodiment of this invention;

l-IG. 2 is a sectional view illustrating another exemplary embodiment of this invention; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the energy forces acting on the munition after ignition of the propellant.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS Reference is now made to FIG. 1 which illustrates one exemplary embodiment of the improved munition of this invention, which is designated generally by the reference numeral I and is seen to be mounted in the breech 12 of a gun. The munition includes a casing I4 having a base end 16 for cooperative engagement with the breech and a coaxial tubular stem I8 extending outwardly therefrom. A primer 20 is mounted in the base end 16 for igniting a propellant 22 which is placed in the hollow bore of the stem 18 and sealed therein by any convenient means such as seal 24. The external diameter of the stem 18 is greater adjacent the base end than at the outermost end. A divergent wall portion 25 of frustoconical surface configuration is interposed between the two differing diameter sections of the stern for a purpose explained herebelow.

A forwardly open-ended second casing or shot tube 26 having a bore 28 extending through the rear end is mounted on stem 18 for slidable movement therealong. The bore 28 has a shape complementary with the wall portion 25 of the stem 18. Within shot tube 26 there is mounted respectively a wad 30, the shot material 32, and a suitable closure element 34. It is seen that wad 30 is in communication with the propellant 22. Shot tube 26 is press fitted on stem 18 and particularly at portion 25 so that the shot tube will not normally fall off the stem.

In essence, the munition I0 is basically a small gun or shot tube 26, within the gun, with means of isolating the small gun or shot tube from the weapon being fired. Isolation, in this instance, is provided by a shock absorbing material which undergoes plastic deformation as the recoil energy stored in the shot tube causes contraction of the shock absorbing material which is supported by the gun. As can be seen in the schematic of FIG. 3, the explosive forces, indicated by small arrows 50, formed when the propellant 22 is ignited will be transmitted to the wad 30 causing the wad, shot material, and closure element to be expelled from the barrel of the gun in the direction of arrow 52. At the same time, recoil energy forces, indicated by small arrows 54, will act on the inner end wall of the shot tube 26 urging the shot tube toward the base end 16 along the stem 18 in the direction of arrow 56. The lines in phantom show the munition before ignition of the propellant and the solid lines show the elements after ignition. The sliding action of the shot tube 26 along the stem III will cause the stem to be deformed inwardly and thereby absorbing the recoil forces formed by the ignition of the propellant 22.

By making changes in stem length, shot tube weight and stem deformation, the accelerating force acting on the gun through the stern can be controlled. In addition to control of the impulse time, the stem can be designed to give a buildup of force during the shock absorbing cycle by using a tube with thicker walls near the base (primer end). By controlling the force level during recoil, the pressure acting on the gun user and the buildup of gun user mass during recoil can be tailored for maximum energy absorption. The munition of this invention will thus control the dynamics of the propellant system by isolating it from the gun.

Another exemplary embodiment of this invention is illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawing. The munition illustrated in FIG. 2 is very similar to the munition 10; therefore such munition will be designated generally by the reference numeral 10A and parts of the munition 10A which are very similar to corresponding parts of the munition 10 will be designated by the same reference numeral as munition I0 also followed by the letter designation A" and not described again.

In this embodiment, the stern I8A is of uniform external diameter therealong so that there is no divergent portion thereon. The shock absorbing formation, in other words, th c plastic deformation ol a shock absorbing material, is instead coaxially placed about the shock tube 26A. The first casing I4A comprises a base end I6A and an outer shell or casing 36 extending axially from the periphery of the base 16A and within which the shot tube 26A is coaxially mounted. It is seen that shell 36 has three distinct sections or portions 38, 40 and 42 respectively therealong. The first and second portions, 38 and 40, have a uniform internal surface configuration with the same internal diameter while the portion 40 is of lesser thickness and thus has a lesser external diameter than that portion of casing 36 shown at 38. The third portion 42 of casing 36, has an internal diameter larger than the internal diameter of portions 38 and 40 and has a slight divergent section between the portions 40 and 42.

The shot tube 26A has a portion of its length 27 which has an external diameter equal to the internal diameter of portion 42 of casing 36. The shot tube 26A having a bore 28A is mounted on stem 18A and the portion 27 fits coaxially within the portion 42 of casing 36. Thus, any rearward sliding movement of the shot tube 26A along stem 18A, such as when ignition of the propellant 22A occurs, will force portion 40 of casing 36 radially outward, thus absorbing the recoil energy forces formed by the ignition of the propellant. In this embodiment, seal means such as an O-ring 44 is provided in the shot tube bore 28A for the cooperative engagement with the stem 18A to provide a close slidable fit therebetween and to prevent the escape of gases therethrough. A frangible seal 46 mounted in the end of casing 36 secures the shot tube 26A in proper alignment within the munition.

Although the preferred embodiments have been described incorporating a wad and shot material, a solid or unitary bullet or slug could also be used within the second casing. Thus, the propellant forces could act directly on the slug itself.

Since the force to expand or contract a tube is a function of wall thickness, rate of deformation (die angle), and radial distance moved by the metal, the contracting tube embodiment of FIG. 1 will give higher force levels with a given mass of material.

It can be seen that in its most basic configuration, this invention is very simple and economical since it requires the addition of but one part which a standard munition does not now have. Because of the unique shock absorbing principles incorporated in the munition of this invention, the recoil forces are efficiently and effectively reduced so that users of munitions embodying the unique recoil attenuating mechanism described need no longer fear a hunter's black and blue shoulder.

While the forms of apparatus herein described constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise forms of apparatus.

What we claim is:

l. A munition which will reduce gun recoil by isolation ofa munition propellant from the gun comprising:

a first casing having a propellant secured therein,

a second casing mounted coaxially with said first casing for slidable movement therewith, said second casing having a projectile therein to be expelled therefrom upon ignition of the propellant, said first and second casings being formed with cooperating slide-impeding formations to absorb recoil forces when the propellant is ignited.

2. A munition which will reduce gun recoil by isolation of a munition propellant from the gun comprising:

a first casing for mounting the munition in a gun breech,

a second casing coaxial with said first casing and mounted for axial slidable movement relative to said first casing, said second casing having a wad and shot material secured therein,

a propellant mounted in said first casing and in communication with said wad, said first and second casings being formed to coact to absorb recoil forces when the propellant is ignited while the shot material is expelled from the second casing.

3. A munition which will reduce gun recoil by isolation of a munition propellant from the gun comprising;

a deformable first casing for mounting he munition in a gun breech,

a second casing coaxial with said first casing and mounted for axial slidable movement relative to said first casing,

a propellant displaced between one end of said first casing and one end of said second casing,

a wad coaxially mounted in said second casing adjacent to said one end and in communication with said propellant wherein ignition of said propellant causes inertia forces to act on said wad and said one end of said second casing whereby said second casing slidably moves relative to said first casing causing a deformation of said first casing and thereby absorbing recoil forces formed by the ignition of said propellant.

4. A munition as set forth in claim 3 in which said first casing comprises a base element in which a primer is mounted and an integral coaxial stem extending from said base to said wad and having a bore therethrough providing a communication path between said primer and wad,

said second casing being mounted on said stem for slidable movement therealong, and said propellant charge being placed within said stem.

5. A munition as set forth in claim 4 in which said stem is cylindrical and having the portion thereof adjacent the base end of greater external diameter than a portion thereof at the opposite end.

6. A munition as set forth in claim 5 further c- -mprising an intermediate divergent portion interposed between the stern portion of greater diameter and the portion of lesser diameter, said second casing having an internal surface complementary with said divergent portion of said stern whereby axial movement of said second casing toward said base element will ing comprises a base end and a cylindrical shell extending therefrom,

said shell having a first portion of uniform thickness,

a second portion of lesser thickness,

said first and second portion having a uniform internal diameter,

a third portion having an internal diameter greater than said first and second portions,

said second casing mounted within said first casing and having an outer surface complementary with the internal surface of said first casing, and one end thereof formed with a base providing communication between said propellant and said wad.

8. A munition as set forth in claim 7 further comprising a coaxial stem extending from the base through the bore in said second casing for contact with said wad, said propellant being placed in said stern in communication with said wad.

9. A munition as set forth in claim 8 further comprising a primer mounted in said base for ignition of said propellant, seal means mounted in said second casing bore for cooperative engagement with the stem to provide a close slidable fit and prevent escape of gases therethrough, and a frangible seal mounted in said first casing to secure said second casing therein.

I0. A munition which will reduce gun recoil by isolation ofa munition propellant from the gun comprising:

a first casing for mounting the munition in a gun breech,

said casing having a base and a coaxial diverging tubular stem extending therefrom,

a second casing having a bore through one end thereof and mounted on said stem at the outer end thereof for slidable movement therealong,

a propellant placed within said tubular stem,

a wad coaxially mounted in said second casing adjacent to said one end having the bore therethrough, said wad being in communication with said propellant wherein ignition of said propellant provides inertia forces acting on said wad and said one end of said second casing whereby said second casing slidably moves along said stem causing a deformation of said stem to absorb gun recoil forces formed by ignition of said propellant.

11. A munition which will reduce gun recoil by isolation ofa munition propellant from the gun comprising:

a first casing for mounting the munition in a gun breech and having a base end and a cylindrical shell extending axially forwardly from the outer periphery of the base end, said shell having a first portion of uniform thickness,

a second portion of lesser thickness, said first and second portion having a uniform internal diameter,

a third portion having an internal diameter greater than said first and second portions,

a coaxial tubular stem extending from the base end and having a propellant placed therein,

an open-ended second casing mounted within said first casing and having an outer surface complementary with the internal surface of said first casing, said second casing having a bore through the closed end through which said stem extends,

a wad and shot material mounted within said second casing, said wad being in communication with said propellant wherein ignition of the propellant causes forces to expel the wad and shot material from the second casing and recoil forces move said second casing along the stem relative to the first casing whereby said second portion is deformed outwardly and thereby absorbing the recoil forces formed by the ignition of the propellant. 

1. A munition which will reduce gun recoil by isolation of a munition propellant from the gun comprising: a first casing having a propellant secured therein, a second casing mounted coaxially with said first casing for slidable movement therewith, said second casing having a projectile therein to be expelled therefrom upon ignition of the propellant, said first and second casings being formed with cooperating slide-impeding formations to absorb recoil forces when the propellant is ignited.
 2. A munition which will reduce gun recoil by isolation of a munition propellant from the gun comprising: a first casing for mounting the munition in a gun breech, a second casing coaxial with said first casing and mounted for axial slidable movement relative to said first casing, said second casing having a wad and shot material secured therein, a propellant mounted in said first casing and in communication with said wad, said first and second casings being formed to coact to absorb recoil forces when the propellant is ignited while the shot material is expelled from the second casing.
 3. A munition which will reduce gun recoil by isolation of a munition propellant from the gun comprising: a deformable first casing for mounting the munition in a gun breech, a second casing coaxial with said first casing and mounted for axial slidable movement relative to said first casing, a propellant displaced between one end of said first casing and one end of said second casing, a wad coaxially mounted in said second casing adjacent to said one end and in communication with said propellant wherein ignition of said propellant causes inertia forces to act on said wad and said one end of said second casing whereby said second casing slidably moves relative to said first casing causing a deformation of said first casing and thereby absorbing recoil forces formed by the ignition of said propellant.
 4. A munition as set forth in claim 3 in which said first casing comprises a base element in which a primer is mounted and an integral coaxial stem extending from said base to said wad and having a bore therethrough providing a communication path between said primer and wad, said second casing being mounted on said stem for slidablE movement therealong, and said propellant charge being placed within said stem.
 5. A munition as set forth in claim 4 in which said stem is cylindrical and having the portion thereof adjacent the base end of greater external diameter than a portion thereof at the opposite end.
 6. A munition as set forth in claim 5 further comprising an intermediate divergent portion interposed between the stem portion of greater diameter and the portion of lesser diameter, said second casing having an internal surface complementary with said divergent portion of said stem whereby axial movement of said second casing toward said base element will cause said stem to deform inwardly.
 7. A munition as set forth in claim 3 in which said first casing comprises a base end and a cylindrical shell extending therefrom, said shell having a first portion of uniform thickness, a second portion of lesser thickness, said first and second portion having a uniform internal diameter, a third portion having an internal diameter greater than said first and second portions, said second casing mounted within said first casing and having an outer surface complementary with the internal surface of said first casing, and one end thereof formed with a base providing communication between said propellant and said wad.
 8. A munition as set forth in claim 7 further comprising a coaxial stem extending from the base through the bore in said second casing for contact with said wad, said propellant being placed in said stem in communication with said wad.
 9. A munition as set forth in claim 8 further comprising a primer mounted in said base for ignition of said propellant, seal means mounted in said second casing bore for cooperative engagement with the stem to provide a close slidable fit and prevent escape of gases therethrough, and a frangible seal mounted in said first casing to secure said second casing therein.
 10. A munition which will reduce gun recoil by isolation of a munition propellant from the gun comprising: a first casing for mounting the munition in a gun breech, said casing having a base and a coaxial diverging tubular stem extending therefrom, a second casing having a bore through one end thereof and mounted on said stem at the outer end thereof for slidable movement therealong, a propellant placed within said tubular stem, a wad coaxially mounted in said second casing adjacent to said one end having the bore therethrough, said wad being in communication with said propellant wherein ignition of said propellant provides inertia forces acting on said wad and said one end of said second casing whereby said second casing slidably moves along said stem causing a deformation of said stem to absorb gun recoil forces formed by ignition of said propellant.
 11. A munition which will reduce gun recoil by isolation of a munition propellant from the gun comprising: a first casing for mounting the munition in a gun breech and having a base end and a cylindrical shell extending axially forwardly from the outer periphery of the base end, said shell having a first portion of uniform thickness, a second portion of lesser thickness, said first and second portion having a uniform internal diameter, a third portion having an internal diameter greater than said first and second portions, a coaxial tubular stem extending from the base end and having a propellant placed therein, an open-ended second casing mounted within said first casing and having an outer surface complementary with the internal surface of said first casing, said second casing having a bore through the closed end through which said stem extends, a wad and shot material mounted within said second casing, said wad being in communication with said propellant wherein ignition of the propellant causes forces to expel the wad and shot material from the second casing and recoil forces move said second casing along the stem relative to the first casing whereby saiD second portion is deformed outwardly and thereby absorbing the recoil forces formed by the ignition of the propellant. 